American
Broccoli Salad
Raw broccoli is tossed with crisp bacon, cheddar, red onion, and sunflower seeds in a sweet-tangy mayonnaise dressing. The salad sits long enough for the florets to soften slightly but stay crunchy.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Small florets take the dressing better than large trees of broccoli.
- Cooking the bacon until crisp gives the salad something salty against the sweet dressing.
- Vinegar and sugar balance the mayonnaise so it does not taste only rich.
- A short chill lets the onion flavor the broccoli without wilting it.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on a plate, then chop it.
- 2
Whisk the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- 3
Add the broccoli florets, red onion, cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds.
- 4
Add the chopped bacon, holding back a small handful for the top.
- 5
Toss until the broccoli is coated.
- 6
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- 7
Scatter the remaining bacon on top and serve cold.
Pro tips
- If the broccoli stalks are thick, peel and slice them thin and add them with the florets.
- Do not pour hot bacon grease into the dressing. It will break the mayonnaise.
- The salad keeps its crunch best the day it is made. Sunflower seeds soften by day two.
Easy substitutions
- Sunflower seeds
- Chopped toasted almonds
- Cheddar cheese
- Shredded Monterey Jack
- Sugar
- Honey
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 2 days.
Reheating
Do not reheat. Serve cold and stir before serving.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 242
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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